Submersible pump



July 28, 1970 Filed Dec. 30, 1968 E. M.'DETERS 3,521,970

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United States Patent 3,521,970 SUBMERSIBLE PUMP Elmer M. Deters,Muscatine, Iowa, assignor to Red Jacket Manufacturing Company,Davenport, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed Dec. 30, 1968, Ser. No.787,655 Int. Cl. F0411 1/06, 13/02 US. Cl. 103-87 12 Claims ABSTRACT OFTHE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND The invention pertains generally to pumps and,more specifically, to submersible pumps for use with submersible motorsin a casing containing fluid and for pumping the fluid through adelivery pipe.

In the past, submersible pumps have been constructed with metal upperand lower heads. These heads are connected to the delivery pipe and tothe motor; therefore, strength is a necessity. This strength must alsobe suflicient to withstand impact forces subjected in handling andassembly. A separate strainer is usually mounted on the lower head orsuction manifold to keep large foreign particles out of the pump.

SUMMARY The present invention relates to a new and useful pump which ismore economical than prior apparatus. The invention is realized by theprovision of a head having a unique shape which gives adequate strength,and yet permits the utilization of more economical material.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a submersiblepump which is more economic in construction than prior apparatus, yetresistant to corrosion.

Another object is to provide a submersible pump having heads made ofplastic, yet having adequate strength without use of thick sections.

Still another object is to provide a submersible pump having a plasticsuction manifold in which the strainer is integral therewith.

Yet another object is to provide a submersible pump having a plasticdischarge head having a unique construction which accommodates theforces applied when the delivery pipe is connected thereto.

These, and other objects and advantages of the present invention, willbecome apparent as the invention becomes better understood from thefollowing detailed description taken in conjunction with the drawings.

DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a wellcasing having a motor and a pump in accordance with the presentinvention submerged therein;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the submersiblepump;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the lower head;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are, respectively, top, bottom and back views of thesuction manifold; and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 88 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION Reference is now made more particularly to the drawingswhich illustrate the best presently known mode of carrying out theinvention and wherein similar reference characters indicate the sameparts throughout the several views.

In FIG. 1, the invention is shown as applied to a well which has a wellcasing 10 which normally extends from a point adjacent the ground leveldownwardly to the aquifer or is terminated in a well screen (not shown).A drop pipe or delivery pipe 12 extends downwardly in the casing to apump 16 submerged in a fluid, such as water 17. A submersible electricmotor 18 is connected to the pump 16 to drive the same as hereafterdescribed.

Referring to FIG. 2, pump 16 is illustrated as a multistage centrifugalpump having a drive shaft 22 with a smooth upper end 22a for a purposehereafter described. The drive shaft 22 is driven by the motor 18through a coupling 23 which is engaged with a motor shaft 24 extendingfrom the upper end of the motor 18. A plurality of impellers 25 aremounted on the drive shaft 22 and have a driving connection therewith. Aplurality of impeller casings 26 contain the impellers 25 and are, inturn, housed within a cylindrical sleeve 28 which has internal threads28a and 28b at its top and bottom, respectively. The impeller casings 26and the impellers 25 may be of any suitable construction and are hereinillustrated as of the type shown and described in US. Pat. No.3,265,001, entitled Centrifugal Pump, and issued to Elmer M. Deters.Reference is made to said patent for a more complete description of theimpellers and impeller casings.

An upper head or discharge head, generally designated 30, is attached atthe upper end of the sleeve 28. The discharge head 30 is preferably madeof plastic and includes a lower or first member 31 and an upper orsecond member 32. First member 31 has external threads 34 for connectionto the sleeve threads 28a. Internal threads 36 on the first member 31and external threads 38 on the second member 32 are arranged forinterfitting to connect the two members.

Means is provided on the first member 31 for supporting a bearing 39which radially supports the smooth upper end 22a of the drive shaft 22.For this purpose, a cup-like socket 41 is axially located. A laterallyextending wall 42 is provided and has cross members 44 (see FIG. 3)connected to the socket 41 and integral therewith. In this manner,openings 46 are provided adjacent the socket 41 to accommodate the flowof fluid pumped by the impellers 25.

A check valve 50 overlies the openings 46 (see FIG. 2) and is movablebetwen an open position (not shown) to permit flow through the openings46, and the closed position illustrated to prevent backflow. Theopenings 46 provide a larger flow area than normal, while the checkvalve 50 is quite wide to overlie the openings. Check valve 50 is madeof a relatively flexible plastic and has an annular lip 51 at its loweredge so that it will conform to any irregularities on the seating faceprovided by wall t2. Because of the large flow area, check valve 50 hasa short stroke and, with generous guide clearance, its chances ofsticking open are negated. The guide clearance is provided by aplurality of ribs 54 on the second member 32. These ribs have adownwardly extending face 55 which provides a stop for the check valve50 in its open position (not shown).

As shown in FIG. 1, the second member 32 is connected to the deliverypipe 12. Pipe taping for standard pipe is a problem in plastic since thetapered thread exerts a heavy force when screwed tight. This is furthercomplicated when utilizing relatively thin wall plastic as is hereinillustrated. To accomplish this connection, the second member 32 has agenerally inverted U-shaped cross section. This U-shaped cross sectionincludes an outer wall 62, a top wall 64-, and an inner or re-entrantwall 66-. The re-entrant wall is threaded as at 67 and defines an outletopening for the flow of fluid. In this manner, a double thin wallsection is provided with maximum radial strength at the top to absorbthe force of the tapered thread of the delivery pipe 12. As illustrated,the ribs 54 also reinforce the inner wall 66.

At the bottom of the sleeve 28 is a lower head or suction manifold,generally designated 70. The suction manifold is preferably of cellularconstruction and molded .of plastic. At its upper end there are threads72 for connecting to the threads 28b at the lower end of the sleeve 28.The cellular construction is defined by the walls of the lower head 70.The preferred embodiment shown, includes a cylindrical inner wall 74which surrounds a chamber for the shafts 22 and 24 and the coupling 23,as best seen in FIG. 2. Extending outwardly from the inenr wall 74, areeight intermediate walls 81-88, as best seen in FIG. 6. As shown, theseintermediate walls are arranged in pairs generally parallel to eachother and extending outwardly to the circumferential edge of the lowerhead 70. An arcuate outer wall portion 92 connects the outer ends ofintermediate walls 81 and 82. Similarly, outer wall portions 94 and 96connect intermediate walls 83 and 84, and 85 and 86, respectively. Thereis no outer wall portion interconnecting intermediate walls 87 and 88thereby leaving an outwardly open chamber to accommodate an electricalconnector 101 and supply line 102 (see FIG. 2) to provide power for themotor 18. The outer walls are preferably imperforate to add strength tothe structure. The forces acting on the lower head are frequentlygreatest during handling and assembly of the pump and motor and placingit into operation. These are bending forces to which the outer walls aremost effective in resisting, and so it is preferable that they be solid.

As best seen in FIG. 6, bottom wall portions i104 extend betweenadjacent intermediate walls and have openings 5 therein. A fastener suchas a bolt 106 (see FIG. 2) is passed through the openings 105 formounting the motor 18 on the lower head 70.

In the preferred construction, openings 108 are provided in theintermediate walls 81, 82, 85 and 86; but not in the other intermediatewalls. In this manner, the openings 108 can be readily formed during themolding of the lower head 70. The openings 108 provide a strainer toeliminate large particles from the fluid being pumped. Preferably, theopenings are formed in reduced wall portions such as at 81a, 82a, 85aand 86a. In this way the strainer sections are substantially thin sothat they can be knocked out, if desired, should a deposit be built upfrom the fluid being pumped. By locating the strainers inwardly of theouter walls, the strainer area is sure to be spaced from the well casing10 and thus cannot be restricted thereby. Fluid passing through theopenings 108 flows into channels 112 or 114 which are defined by theinner, intermediate and outer walls. These channels are ,open at the topfor flow directly to the impellers 25.

Referring to FIG. 5, it can be seen that top wall portions 115-117 areprovided. These top wall portions each have a plurality of openings 120therethrough to provide additional flow area for the fluid. In thismanner, additional strainer sections are provided.

The top wall portions, the bottom wall portions, and the inner,intermediate, and outer wall portions define the cellular constructionof the suction manifold. This construction provides relatively thinwalls yet a sturdy structure. The strength of the construction allowsthe suction manifold 70 to serve as a mount for the motor 18. Inaddition, the strainer is molded directly into the suction manifoldinstead of being a separate part.

While a preferred embodiment of the present invention has beendescribed, this has been done by way of illustration and not limitation,and it is to be understood that various modifications in structure willoccur to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:

1. A subersible pump for use with a casing containing fluid to bepumped, a delivery pipe in the casing and having an inlet at its lowerend, and a submersible motor in the casing and having a motor or shaftextending from the upper end thereof, the submersible pump including: apump casing having a top and a bottom, a plurality of impellers mountedwithin the pump casing, a drive shaft having upper and lower ends andextending axially through the impellers, and means providing a drivingconnection between the drive shaft and the impellers and between thedrive shaft and the motor shaft whereby the impellers are driven whenthe motor is operated, the improvement comprising: a plastic dischargehead at the top of the pump casing and having a discharge openingconnected to the delivery pipe inlet, check valve means in the dischargehead for permitting flow of the fluid into the delivery pipe andpreventing return flow, a bearing engaged with the upper end of thedrive shaft, and the discharge head having means for supporting thebearing; and a plastic suction manifold at the bottom of the pump casingand having an upper end adapted for generally fluid-tight connection tothe bottom of the pump casing, a lower end, imperforate outer wallportions extending between said ends and having laterally-spaced sideedges, and intermediate wall means extending between adjacent edgesoftwo adjacent outer wall portions and disposed inwardly of an imaginarycircle connecting the lateral side edges of the outer walls, at least aportion of the intermediate wall means having a plurality of openingsformed therein to provide a strainer for the fluid.

2. A submersible pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein the imperforateouter wall portions of the suction manifold includes two portions atopposite sides thereof, and wherein the intermediate wall means hassections extending inwardly from the opposite sides of said twoportions, said sections being generally parallel to each other.

3. A submersible pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein: the pump casingis generally cylindrical and has a threaded connection at its lower end,the upper end of the lower head is threaded for connecting to thesleeve, the outer wall portions are arcuate and have an outer surface atsaid imaginary circle, the intermediate wall means has sections arrangedin generally parallel planes, each section having an inner edge joinedto an adjacent section and at generally right angles thereto, and theopenings being formed in the generally parallel sections at oppositesides of the lower head but not in the sections at generally rightangles thereto.

4. A submersible pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein the delivery pipehas an exterior threaded portion at its lower end; and wherein theplastic discharge head has an outer wall surrounding the lower end ofthe delivery pipe and spaced outwardly therefrom, a re-entrant wallinwardly of the outer wall and spaced therefrom, the walls beingconnected at their upper ends, the reentrant wall having a threadedinterior for connection to the threaded pipe portion and to support thesubmersible pump and motor thereon.

5. A submersible pump as set forth in claim 1 wherein: the pump casingincludes a generally cylindrical sleeve having a threaded connection atits upper end, the plastic discharge head includes first and secondmembers, the first member having threads for connection to the sleeve,the first member having an axially located socket for supporting thebearing and crosswise extending wall means for supporting the socket,the wall means having at least one opening therein for passage of thefluid, the

second member being connected to the delivery pipe and to the firstmember and having positioning means on the interior surface thereof forpositioning the check valve over the opening in the wall means whenclosed and providing a stop for the check valve when open.

6. A submersiblepump for pumping a fluid and for use with a deliverypipe having an inlet at its lower end, and a submersible motor fordriving the submersible pump and having a motor shaft extending from theupper end thereof, the submersible pump comprising: a pump casing havinga top and a bottom, a plurality of impellers mounted Within the pumpcasing, a drive shaft extending axially through the impellers and havinga driving connection thereto, means for connecting the drive shaft andmotor shaft so that the impellers are driven when the motor is operated,a discharge head at the top of the pump casing and having a dischargeopening connected to the delivery pipe inlet, and a plastic suctionmanifold of cellular construction at the bottom of the pump casing andincluding inner wall means defining a chamber for at least a portion ofsaid shafts, outer wall portions disposed outwardly of the inner Wallmeans and having laterallyspaced side edges, intermediate wall meansextending from each outer wall side edge to the inner wall means and atleast a portion of the intermediate wall means having openings formedtherein to provide a strainer for the fluid.

7. A submersible pump as set forth in claim 6 wherein the intermediatewall means includes a section extending inwardly from each outer wallportion side edge and generally parallel to the section at the oppositeside edge of the outer wall portion.

8. A submersible pump as set forth in claim 7 wherein there are fourpairs of said generally parallel sections,

each section being generally coplanar with a section at the oppositeside of the lower head, and wherein the openings are formed in one pairof sections and in the pair generally opposite thereto and not in theother two pairs, the sections being of preselected thickness and havingan inner surface and an outer surface, the sections having the openingstherein having an indented area in the outer surface thereof, and theopenings being located in said indented area.

9. A submersible pump as set forth in claim 6 wherein the plasticsection manifold includes bottom wall means at the bottom thereof andextending between each two adjacent laterally-spaced side edges of theouter wall portions, the bottom Wall means being connected to theintermediate wall means and having at least two openings therein for thepassage of fasteners to fasten to the upper end of the submersiblemotor.

10. A pump for pumping a fluid and for use with a threaded delivery pipehaving an inlet at its lower end, and a motor for driving the pump, thepump comprising: a pump casing having a top and a bottom, a plurality ofimpellers mounted within the pump casing, connecting means providing adriving connection between the impellers and the motor so that theimpellers are driven when the motor is operated, a suction manifold atthe bottom of the pump casing and having intake openings therein forpassage of the fluid, a plastic discharge head at the top of the pumpcasing and having an outer wall surrounding the lower end of thedelivery pipe and spaced outwardly therefrom, a re-entrant wall spacedinwardly of the outer wall and connected thereto, and the re-entrantwall having a threaded interior for connection to the threaded deliverypipe.

11. A pump as set forth in claim 10 wherein the connecting meansincludes a drive shaft extending through the impellers; and wherein thedischarge head includes a bearing for radially supporting the driveshaft, and means for supporting the bearing and permitting flow of thefluid therepast.

12. A pump as set forth in claim 11 wherein: the pump casing isgenerally cylindrical and has a threaded connection at its upper end,the plastic discharge head includes first and second members connectedto each other, the first member has threads for connection to the pumpcasing, and the means for supporting the bearing includes a socketlocated axially of the first member and laterally extending wall meansfor supporting the socket, the laterally extending wall means having atleast one opening therein for passage of the fluid to the delivery pipe;and including a check valve movable from a closed position overlying theopening in the laterally extending wall means to prevent return flowfrom the delivery pipe and an open position to permit flow through theopening.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS ROBERT M. WALKER, PrimaryExaminer US. Cl. X.R. l03-108

